Angle It Services's Blog

Wine from the USA

tapicomms — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:20:43 +0000

American wines are some of the hottest, most trend-setting wines in the bottle. Like everything American, the U.S. has taken a huge melting pot of European grape varietals and given them a taste of terroir Américain.

The main reason these “New World” (not European) wines can compete against centuries of “Old World” (European) refinement is through education and technology.

MAJOR AMERICAN WINE REGIONS

There are several wine regions in the U.S., each with their own flavor and style of wine. A few of the major wine-producing regions are:

California Wine
New York Wine
Oregon Wine
Texas Wine
Washington Wine

Wine from Australia

tapicomms — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 08:19:55 +0000

READING BETWEEN THE WINES:
Australia is another wine producing country known for its great taste and combined value. While the Aussies whip up several Old World specialties, they always deliver New World charm, style, and unmatched regional character.

Australia is best worshipped for its feisty, spice-full Shiraz. Not far behind are its oaky Chardonnays, sweet Rieslings, and rich Cabs. Aussie vintners are master blendsmen, intermingling some of the most creative and innovative blends on the market. In the past five years, Australia has become the number ten wine producer in the world and has upped its imports to the U.S. by four times.

Wine buffs are so optimistic that they’re predicting Aussie exports will double again in the next five. In other words, look out wine world, here comes Australia!

MAJOR AUSTRALIAN WINE REGIONS
Australia’s wine country prospers mostly “down under,” along its southern expanse. The major regions in Australia are
Western Australia (Margaret River, Pemberton)
New South Wales (Hunter Valley)
South Australia (Coonawarra, Clare Valley, Padthaway, Adelaide Hills, Barossa)
Tasmania
Victoria (Yarra Valley, Geelong, Mornington Peninsula, Goulburn Valley).

Wine from New Zealand

tapicomms — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:58:55 +0000

No previous wine had shocked, thrilled, entranced the world before with such brash, unexpected flavours of gooseberries, passionfruit and lime, or crunchy green asparagus spears.
— Wine writer Oz Clarke on New Zealand’s Sauvignon Blanc in his book Wine Atlas

New Zealand, hardly a speck in the world wide wineglass a few years ago, is another miraculous newbie in the international wine scene. When it strutted into the limelight, its wines made drinking them worth our time.

Mostly known for its whites (not that mouths abroad don’t water for its reds), New Z puts out vibrant Sauvignon Blancs and brilliant Chardonnays. Not far behind are the recent international “it” wine the New Z Pinot Noir and the Cabernet Sauvignons and Merlots, or the splendid blendeds of the latter two.

2004’s harvest is estimated to be two times the size of that of 2003, which means there may be hope for an up and coming New Zealand surplus. If all goes well, there’s no stopping them!

MAJOR NEW ZEALAND WINE REGIONS
New Zealand’s wine country covers the country from top of the top island to bottom of the bottom island. The major regions in New Zealand are Northland, Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Nelson, Marlborough, Canterbury, and Central Otago.

French Wine

tapicomms — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:57:55 +0000

Even if you’re an amateur wine snob and barely know your wines, you’ll recognize several of the big name French wines like Chablis, Bordeaux, Burgundyand Beaujolais, to name a few.

All of the major wines in France emerge from specified terroir (meaning collective growing conditions of the region), and their quality and origin are held under strict regulatory lock-down.

But even with so many points fins, French wines offer many single-grape and blended varieties that will make your mouth sing, “Oui, Oui!”

MAJOR FRENCH WINE REGIONS
In France, the more specific the appellation, the more prestigious the wine is considered to be. They have adopted a system of increasing specificity and they are:

(in order from least to most specific)

Region
District
Sub-District
Village or Commune
Vineyard

The problem is that unless you are extremely familiar with French geography, it’s hard to know what is what just by looking at the label.

There are ten wine regions in France, each with their own flavor and style of wine. A five most important are:

Alsace Wine
Bordeaux Wine
Burgundy Wine
Loire Valley Wine
Rhone Valley Wine